Machine for finishing spoke-nipples for bicycles



(No Model.) 9 Sheigs-Sheet 1'.

CLE. ROBERTS.

fiAGHINB FOR FINISHING SPOKE NIPPLES FOR-BIGYGLES. No. 572,376. PatentedDec. 1, 1896 M16 TIVES$ESH I l E/V T0 1?.-

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(No Model.) 9 She'ets -sheet 2.

OLE. ROBERTS. MACHINE FOR FINISHING SPOKE NIPPLES FOR BIQYGLES. No.572,376. Patented Dec. 1, 1896.

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(No Model.)- 9 Sheets-Sheet 3.

0. BROBERTS. MACHINE FOR FINISHING SPOKE NIPPLES FOR BIOYOLES.

No. 572,376. Patented'Dec. 1, 1896.

(No Model.) v 9 Sheets-Sheet 4.

- G. E. ROBERTS.

MAGHINE FOR FINISHING SPOKE NIPPLES FOR BIGYGLES.

Patented Dec. 1

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9 Sheets-'Sheet 7. O. E. ROBERTS. MAGH INE FOR FINISHING SPOKE NIPPLESFOR BIGYGLES.

No. 572,376. Patented Dec. 1, 1896.

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MAG-NINE FOR FINISHING SPOKE NIPPLES PORBIcYO I:s.

No.- 572,376.: Patented Dec. (1, 1896.]

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(NoModeL) 9 Sheets-Sheet 0.. B. ROBERTS. MAGHINE FOR FINISHING SPOKENIPPLES FOR BIGYOLBS. N0. 572,376.

Patented Dec. 1,- 1896.

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oven-ma. WASHXNGTDN a c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. ROBERTS, OF OAKPARK, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR FINISHING SPOKE-NIPPLESFOR BICYCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 572,376, dated December1, 1896.

Application filed January 27, 1896. Serial No- 5'77,056. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States,residing in Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Finishing Spoke-Nipples for Bicycles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is designed to cut the nick for the reception of thescrew-driver in the heads of the nipples, to slab or flatten the body ofthe nipple upon opposite sides, so as to adapt it to be turned by awrench, and to tap or thread the central bore of the nipple. Theseseveral operations have heretofore been performed in separate machines,but are now by my invention combined in one machine,

which is wholly automatic in its action.

The principal feature of theinvention is found in the means which I usefor cutting the nick and for cutting or slabbing the sides. I employ forthese operations stationary saws and a moving carriage adapted to carrythe nipple across the teeth of the saws and to hold it rigidly while somoving, so that the saws will operate uponit. The saw employed forcutting the nick is placed in a vertical position centrally over thepath of the nippleblank, and is of course thin or narrow, as the nick isonly a narrow slot. The saws which slab the sides are placed uponopposite sides of the path of the nipple with their teeth projectingtoward each other, and are made thick enough so that the cutting edgesof the teeth shall equal in height the height of the portion to be outor slabbed. All the saws are placed at a slight angle to the line ofmovement of the nipple blank, so that all the teeth therein may performtheir share of the cutting. The saws are relatively arranged so that theupper or nick-cutting one may begin operation upon the nipple slightlyinadvance of those which cut the sides in order that the nick-cutting sawmay assist in preventing the nipple from turning in the holder. I alsolessen the danger of the blank turning by cutting the opposite sidesthereof at the same time, one cutter thus neutralizing the pressure ofthe other.

A further feature of the invention is found in the combination, with thenicking and slabbingcutters, of a mechanism for tapping or threading thenipples internally. This tapping mechanism receives the blank from theholder, which carries the nipple past those cutters and taps the centralbore of the nip- .ple before it is released from the machine;

ples are discharged from the holder of the cutters.

Some of these tapping-tools will be operating While others are receivingor discharging the nipples, and there is consequently no loss of time inthe operation of the machine.

The nature of myinvention will be more fully understood when consideredin connection with the detailed description given below and theillustrations contained in the accompanying drawings, in which latter-Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention; Fig. 2, a side elevationthereof; Fig. 3, a ver tical section on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 isa horizontal section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows the detailof the cam for operating the nipple-holder carrying the blank past thecutters. Fig. 6 shows a cam for operatin g the striker or driver of thefeed mechanism. Fig. 7 is an enlarged elevation of the tapping-tn rret.Fig; 8 is a horizontal section on the line 8 80f Fig. 7. Fig. 9is anenlarged vertical section of one of the tool-carrying spindles of theturret. Fig. 10 shows the stationary guide or cam for releasing thenipples from the turret. Fig. 11 is a longitudinal vertical section ofthe nicking and slabbing mechanism and of one of the nippleholderscarried by the turret. Fig. 12 is a section on the line 12 12 of Fig.11. Fig. 13 is a plan of one of the turret nipple-holders. Fig. 14 is ahorizontal section of the slabbingcutters. Fig. 15 is aside elevation ofthe nippie-holders for carrying the blank past the cutters. Fig. 16 is asection on the line 16 16 of Fig. 15. Fig. 17 is a diagram of the camsfor moving the spindles of the turret. Fig. 18 is an end elevation ofthe machine, partly in section. Fig. 19 is a vertical section of thefeed-chute and the slideway in which the driver moves in forcing thenipples into the carrier by which it is moved past the saws, and Fig. 20is a section on the line 20 20 of Fig. 19.

In said drawings, A represents a hopper into which a mass of the nipplesW are thrown, with a slotted assembling and positioning device a, havinga rising-and-falling motion in the hopper, so as to agitate the body ofnipples and insure their being automatically p0- sitioned in the slot ofthe assembler, said slot, which appears at a, being of a familiarconstruction and adapted to admit the bodies or stems of the nipples,but too narrow to admit the heads, so that the nipples assume a verticalposition therein with their heads resting on the sides of the slot. Forgiving motion to this assembler the crank-wheel a and lever a may beemployed. This assembler also acts to deliver the nipples which are thuspositioned in it to an inclined chute A, which conducts them to a pointimmediately over the moving holder,herein after described, and wherebythey are carried past the cutter and to the tapping mechanism. When thenipple arrives at this point, it enters between two spring-arms A havingfeet between which the nipple enters and which support it over theholder. The proximate faces of the feet are cut away, as shown at a sothat at the proper time the nipple may be forced down into the holder bya descending driver or plunger A receiving power from a spring A bymeans of a rod A a rockinglever A, attached to the driver and to one endof the rod, and a lever A, pivoted at its center and attached to the rodat the other end of the latterand also attached to the spring. Themovements of the driver are timed to take place when the clampingdevices of the holder are in position under it, and for this purpose Iemploy a cam A upon the shaft A where by the lever A is controlled, andwhereby the driver will be lifted at each operation by the spring. Itwill be understood that the arms A spread when the driver descends, soas to permit the nipple to pass into the holder, and that they areadapted to admit only a single nipple at a time.

The holder consists of a carriage B, moving upon slideways B andprovided with a suitable device for clamping the nipples. The clampingdevice which is preferred by me consists of two opposing levers B Bpivoted at b to the carriage and having jaws b at one end, whereby theymay seize the'nipples, and a spreading-spring b interposed between theirother ends and causing the clamping action. The levers B also carrydouble-faced laterall-y-projecting inclines b, which cooperate withstationary rollers B located at opposite sides and near one end of thepath traveled by the levers in opening the jaws of the levers when thelatter are in position to receive a nipple from the driver and withother like rollers B, located at opposite s des and near the other endof said path in opening the jaws wheh the nipples are to be dischargedor delivered to the tapping mechanism.

The holder is reciprocated by an elbowlever B controlled by a cam B uponshaft A and a [spring B attached to an arm B upon the lever, said cambeing adapted to produce a slight dwell or cessation of movement by theholder at the time the jaws of the clamping-levers are under the driver,in order to give time for the reception of the nipple.

O is the nicking-saw. It is supported in an upright bracket C by aclamping-plate C secured to the bracket by the screws 0 The screws C actupon the top edge of the saw and serve to hold it down to the properplane for action. The slabbing-saws are shown at D D. They are insertedin recesses in the bed of the machine and are adjusted toward the workby screws D. As shown, the saw 0 is a thin blade, while the saws I) areas thick as the portion of the nipple to be slabbed is high. I find thatit is practicable to perform the operations of nicking and slabbing thenipples by thus moving them over stationary saws or cutters, and by thatmethod I am enabled to use mechanism very much simpler, less expensive,and more durable than any previously used for performing the sameoperations. Of course any one of the saws may be used without the otheror others.

The holder is also adapted to deliver the nipples after they have beenoperated upon by the saws to the tapping mechanism. In order to enablethem to do this, two companion guides E E are placed and stationarilysecured at opposite sides of the path of the nipple between the saws andthe tapping mechanism and at such distance apart as will enable theslabbed or flattened portion of the nipple to enter between them and yetprevent the nipple from turning. These guides insure the presentation ofthe nipples to the tapping mechanism both at the proper point and in theproper position, and they extend into close proximity to the slottedguide-plates of the turret-holders, as shown at Figs. 2 and 11.

Each of the holders carried by the turret consists of a top spring F, abottom spring G, and the slotted guide plate H. spring F has thefollowing features: Its outer end is beveled off at f to enable thenipple to lift it as it enters the holder. A socket f is formed upon itsunder surface conforming in size and shape to the nipple-head, so thatthe spring may set down over the nipple and accurately center and holdit for the entrance of the tap. It has an opening f over the socket f,through which the tap may enter the nipple from above. The bottom springis bent downwardly at its outer end, as shown at g, so that said end maypass under the lower end of the nipple and exert a lifting force uponit. The guide-plate H is slotted to conform to the slabbed part of thenipple and to hold the nipple against turning, and its The top IIS topis adapted to engage the shoulders formed upon the sides of the nipplesby the slabbing, and thus sustain the nipple against the downthr'ust ofthe tap. All these parts are properly attached to the arm J of theturret, and when they come opposite the guides E the levers B whichcarry the nipple from the feed and past the saws, also carry it into theembrace of the turret-holding devices and do not relinquish theircontrol of it until the nipple is positioned with its head in the socketof the top spring and it feels the pressure of both springs F and G. Bythe time the nipple reaches this position the levers B will have beenopened by the rollers B so that when the levers are moved back theyleave the nipple in the turret. The turret is momentarily stopped duringthis operation, and the levers B are retracted without delay, so thatthey are out of the way when the motion of the turret is resumed.

The turret is provided with a series of holder-arms, such as thatdescribed, and above each arm is a tapping-spindle L, carrying a tap Land supported in a sleeve L the latter being carried in arms L radiatingfrom the center of the turret. The sleeve is capable of arising-and-falling movement in its bearings, and the spindle is alsocapable of an up-and-down movement in the sleeve, but is keyed thereto,so as to rotate with it. The spindle is also threaded at its upper end,and this threaded portion works in a nut L having a limited verticalmotion in the box L and depressed by a spring L. which cause therotation of the spindle are shown at L and they engage the longitudinalslots L in the spindle and are fast in the sleeve. The rotation of thespindle in one direction will, with the construction above described,cause the spindle to descend in any position of the sleeve, and itsrotation in the other direction will cause it to rise, both thesemovements being regulated by the nut L The spindles are rotated by meansof the contact of the friction-wheels M, of which one is carried by eachsleeve with the driving friction-wheels N and 0, supported at the centerof the turret, as explained later on, and driven in opposite directions,so that one will rotate the spindle in the proper direction for tappingand the other in the proper direction for withdrawing the tap, and alsoarranged at distances apart, so that when the wheels M are in positionmidway between the driving-wheels no rotary motion at all will beimparted to the spindles. For the purpose of moving the sleeves up anddown to bring about contact of the wheels M with the driving-wheels andalso to break such contact at proper times I employ the followingdevices with each spindle: Fast upon the spindlesleeve is a groovedcollar P, and in the groove of the collar is a loose-fitting ring P,which is attached by trunnions at opposite sides to the forked end of ahorizontally-extending The keys lever P pivoted stationarily upon theturret and encircling at its other end a vertical rod P Upon rod P aretwo collars P one above and one below the lever P and between suchcollars and the lever are coiled springs P one spring being thus adaptedto act in a downward and the other in an upward direction on the lever.,The rod is pivotally joined at its lower end to a slide P carrying anantifriction-roller P The slide moves vertically in a bearing Pstationary upon the turret. The series of rollers P thus connected tothe spindle-sleeves encounter and are at all times controlled by threestationary cams P P P. (Shown in detail at Fig; 17 and partiallyappearing in Fig. 7.) The first of these, P under which one of therollers is moving in Fig. 17, is adapted to force the roller, the slide,and the rod to their lowermost positions, and thus rock thecorresponding lever P in such manner as to lift the spindle-sleeve ofthat lever and bring about contact between the wheel M of the. sleevewith the upper driving-wheel N, which rotates the spindle in suchdirection as to cause the tap to operate upon the nipple. The next cam,P lifts the roller to its uppermostposition and rocks the lever in theopposite direction, and thus breaks the contact between wheel M and thedriving-wheel N and carries the former against the lower driving-wheelO, which reverses the direction of the taps rotation and causes it todraw out of the nipple. The third cam, P is adapted to force the rollerpartially down from the position given by the preceding cam, and thisbrings the wheel M midway between the drivers N and O, in which positionthe spindle remains idle, and while it is thus controlled by cam P thetapped nipple is ejected and replaced by a fresh one.

In the construction described, although the rollers P are positivelyoperated both up and down by the cams, yet the springs P permit thespindle-sleeve to yield in either vertical direction whenever emergencyrequires, and the attendant may at such times raise and lower the sleeveinstantly, so as to stop the rotation. In like manner the spindle maylift against the spring L whenever the tap encounters any unusualresistance. By means of these features very few breakages of the tapsoccur, notwithstanding their very small diameter.

The interior construction of the turret is shown particularly at Figs. 3and 4 and is as follows: At the axis is a shaft R, driven by pulley R,and the upper driving frictionwheel N is fast to it. Surrounding thisshaft is a sleeve R to which the pulley R is attached and which carriesthe driving frictionwheel 0. The shaft and sleeve are operated inopposite directions. Outside the sleeve R is a second sleeve K having anintermediate and comparatively slow motion. This sleeve R supports the,arms in which the tappingspindles are carried and also the nippleholderarms. It is provided with a bearing in a stationary part of the machineand with a flange R, which supports it vertically thereon. It receivesits rotary movement through the wheel R", carried by it and havingprojecting studs R engaging the camdrum S upon the shaft A By the timethe nipple has been tapped and the tap been withdrawn from it it willhave reached the neighborhood of a stationary cam T, which is so locatedrelative to the under springs of the turret nipple-holders as to drawdown said springs and relieve the nipples from their pressure. Thisrenders the ejection of the nipples from the holders an easy matter, andthat is accomplished by a stationary device which I call an ejector andwhich is best shown at T in Fig. 8. It is located between the cam T andthe point at which the nipples are received from the other mechanism,and consists of a curved arm t, adapted to set back of the body of thenipple, and a cam-surface 15, adapted to force the nipple outward, asshown.

It will be understood that the dwell given the turret-holders iscoincident in point of time with the delivery to them of the nipple bythe feed devices of the cutting mechanism.

The various parts of the machine are actuated as follows: The shaft Awhereby the nipple-feed is driven, receives power from a companion shaftV through the gears V and V and said shaft V is driven by a belt V fromshaft V The shaft V, shaft R, and sleeve R are all driven by a singlebelt V passing around the pulley V on shaft V then around pulley R onsleeve R then around pulley V 011 shaft V, then around pulley R on shaftR, then around a pulley (not shown) on shaft V to the power-shaft. (Alsonot shown.) By this arrangement of belting the machine is driven and theshaft R and sleeve R are rotated in opposite directions, as alreadyexplained, by the use of a single belt. Two belts can be employedinstead of the single one for this purpose, if preferred.

I claim 1. The combination in a machine for finishing nipples for thespokes of bicycle-wheels, of mechanism for nicking the heads of thenipples, mechanism for slabbing or flattening the sides of their bodies,and mechanism for tapping them, substantially as specified.

2. The combination in a machine forfinishing nipples for the spokes ofbicycle-wheels, of mechanism for nicking the heads of the nipples,mechanism for slabbing orfiattening the sides of their bodies, mechanismfor tapping them, and mechanism for feeding the nipples, substantiallyas specified.

3. The combination in a machine forfinishing nipples for the spokes ofbicycle-wheels, of mechanism for nicking the heads of the nipples,mechanism for slabbin g or flattening the sides of their bodies,mechanism for tapping them, a moving holder adapted to hold the nipplerigidly and also adapted to carry it past the nicking and slabbingdevices, and mechanism for assembling, positioning and delivering thenipples to said holder, substantially as specified.

4. The combination in a machine for finishing nipples for the spokes ofbicycle-wheels, of mechanism for nicking the heads of the nipples,mechanism forslabbin g or flattenin g the sides of their bodies,mechanism for tapping them, and a moving holder adapted to hold thenipple rigidly and also adapted to carry it past the nicking andslabbing devices to the tapping mechanism, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with nicking, slabbing and tapping mechanisms, ofautomatic mechanism for feeding the nipples to the machine, andautomatic mechanism for carrying the nipples past said nickin g andslabbing mechanisms and delivering them to the tapping mechanism,substantially as specified.

0. The combination with nicking, slabbing, and tapping mechanisms, ofautomatic mechanism for positioning, assembling and feedin g the nipplesto the machine, and automatic mechanism for carrying the nipples pastsaid nicking and slabbing mechanisms and delivering them to the tappingmechanism,substantially as specified.

7. In a machine for nicking nipples and similar articles, a non-movableand stationarily-located saw and means for holding the article to benicked and moving it across the teeth of the saw in combination withmeans for delivering the nipples to said holding means, substantially asspecified.

S. In a machine for finishing nipples and similar articles, the opposingstationary saws D D, and means for holding the nipples and carrying themacross the teeth of such saws in combination with means for deliveringthe nipples to said holding means, substantially as specified.

9. In a machine for finishing nipples, the combination of a stationarynicking-saw, and opposing stationary slabbing saws, with means forholding and carrying the nipples across the teeth of such saws and meansfor delivering the nipples to said holding means, substantially asspecified.

10. The combination with a stationary saw and a moving holder forrigidly holding a nipple and carrying it across the teeth of the saw, ofmeans for feeding the nipples into position over said holder, means forarresting the nipples at that position, and a device for forcing thenipples from that position into the holder, substantially as specified.

11. The combination with a stationary saw .and a moving holder forrigidly holding a IIO driver for forcing the nipple past said arrest ingdevice and into the holder, substantially as specified.

12. The combination with a stationary saw of a moving holder providedwith springactuated clamping-levers B B adapted to seize and hold thenipple, and automatic devices for opening said levers to release thenipple, substantially as specified.

13. The combination with the saws and the moving holder having clampingdevices whereby the nipple is seized and rigidly held while it is movedacross the teeth of the saws, of the tapping mechanism provided withnip-- ple holding devices, said first mentioned holder being adapted tocarry the nipple into the embrace of the holding devices of the tappingmechanism, substantially as specified.

14. In a machine for finishing nipples, a

moving holder adapted to rigidly hold the nipple in a vertical position,and means for delivering the nipples singly to said holder, incombination with a stationary nickingsaw, located above the path throughwhich the nipple is carried by said holder, and stationary slabbing-sawsarranged at opposite sides of said path, substantially as specified.

15. The combination of a moving holder adapted to carry the nipple andto hold it rigidly and means for delivering the nipples singly to saidholder, with a stationary saw arranged in an inclined position in thepath of the nipple, substantially as specified.

CHARLES E. ROBERTS.

\Yitnesses H. M. MUNDAY, Envv. S. EVABTS.

